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Saturday, August 30, 2014

The Nativity of HathorHathor is a sky goddess who displaced Nut. She was also a goddess of beer and violence. She became merged with the frog goddess Hekt, a birth and resurrection goddess married to Khnumu. Before dawn, the Priestesses would bring Hathor's image out on to the terrace to expose it to the rays of the rising sun. The day ended in song and intoxication, rejoicing and carnival.

Hathor is noted as the Egyptian cow goddess. Daughter of Nut and Re. In early Egyptian mythology she was the mother of the sky god Horus, but was later replaced in this capacity by Isis. Hathor then became a protectress of Horus. She was depicted either as a cow or in human form wearing a crown consisting of a sun disk held between the horns of a cow.

Her name appears to mean "house of Horus", referring to her role as a sky goddess, the "house" denoting the heavens depicted as a great cow. Hathor was often regarded as the mother of the Egyptian pharaoh, who styled himself the "son of Hathor". Since the pharaoh was also considered to be Horus as the son of Isis, it might be surmised that this had its origin when Horus was considered to be the son of Hathor.

Hathor took on an uncharacteristically destructive aspect in the legend of the Eye of Re. According to this legend, Re sent the Eye of Re in the form of Hathor to destroy humanity, believing that they were plotting aganist him. However, Re changed his mind and flooded the fields with beer, dyed red to look like blood. Hathor stopped to drink the beer, and, having become intoxicated, never carried out her deadly mission. Sekhmet is also attributed to this legend. Red tide is still know today in Egypt as well as in other parts of the world. Red tide is a build up of red algae and is now connected with "Nile turning to blood" in the Biblical story of Exodus.

Hathor was often symbolized by the papyrus reed, the snake, and the Egyptian rattle known as the sistrum. Her image could also be used to form the capitals of columns in Egyptian architecture. Her principal sanctuary was at Dandarah, where her cult had its early focus, and where it may have had its origin. At Dandarah, she was particularly worshiped in her role as a goddess of fertility, of women, and of child birth. At Thebes she was regarded as a goddess of the dead under the title of the "Lady of the West", associated with the sun god Re on his descent below the western horizon. The Greeks identified Hathor with Aphrodite.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Seed returns in “Blood Valley: Seed’s Revenge”, this time with new story and direction provided by Marcel Walz. Uwe Boll hangs back as producer on this sequel to the 2007 slasher horror. “Seed’s Revenge” moves the nightmare into the desert of the southwest, not far from Las Vegas, where some girlfriends find themselves battling for survival against Max Seed’s brutality. This one stars Natalie Scheetz, Nick Principe, Caroline Williams, Christa Campbell, Annika Strauss, Sarah Hayden, Manoush and Jeff Dylan Graham.

“Seed’s Revenge” takes on a whole different look and feel than the original film directed by Uwe Boll. This one has a modern grindhouse/torture porn thing happening that comes of more like Suicide Girls take on the Hills That Have Eyes. It just really doesn’t fit the bases of what Boll created with the character and his mythos-what little there was of one. Max Seed still is just as menacing and brutal as ever, only in “Seed’s Revenge” there seems to be less of a plot than in the original one.

The cast do decent enough jobs at being lambs for the slaughter, but there isn’t a strong continuity in the style that Walz chose for the full story arc to make an appearance here. Choppy scenes fragmented between the present and past events are more cumbersome than dramatic and emotional. I understood the intend of showing the powerful and gritty fate of the characters, then pull us into the more human, and compassionate side, but so often, and suddenly makes it almost unnecessarily broken-the story that is. It also confuses the intended effect.

The special effects are half and half. The practical, bloody, full on graphic violence is still present in “Blood Valley: Seed’s Revenge” , but the theatrical nature and religious overture of the sequences felt more ridiculous than artistic. Then there is that pesky CGI stuff that kills moments. Plus the moments that CGI was used in this film could have been done just as effectively through practical application. The soundtrack and atmosphere is acceptable, however it is over used a lot. Some scenes the music just bursts into the scene for no real reason-especially when the result is so underwhelming.

Overall “Blood Valley: Seed’s Revenge” is a let down. The story is a thin, fragile spectre of the Max Seed mythos, with more torture porn attention paid than actual, purposeful story. Plus the setting and deeper development of Max Seed’s character, and a few others introduced, just seems convoluted. On a positive note, the kills are gruesome, bloody and brutal. There is no remorse or concern for audience tolerance. The ending that ties into the first film is a really cool moment in the film but not enough to save this sequel. If you set out to see the film just be warned that it is less impressive than the first film-by Uwe Boll-that that as you will.

Ganesha Chaturthi (गणेश चतुर्थी) is the Hindu festival celebrated in honor of the god Ganesha, remover of obstacles, and the god of beginnings and wisdom. is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 19 August and 20 September.

The festival involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals (temporary shrines), which are worshipped for ten days with different variety of herbal leaves, plants and immersed at the end of the festival in a water(lake) along with the Idol. After adding herbal and medicated plants and leaves(patri) in lakes, the water in the lake becomes purified. This was in practice because, in early days people used to drink lake water, and to protect people with infections and viral diseases especially in this season, this tradition was introduced. Some Hindus also install the clay images of Ganesha in their homes. It is believed that Ganesha bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival.

Traditional Ganesha Hindu stories tell of Lord Ganesha, son of goddess Parvati, who is consort of Shiva. Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva, who had gone out, returned and as Ganesha didn't know him, didn't allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged by this and asked his follower Ganas to teach the child some manners. Ganesha who was very powerful, being born of Parvati, the embodiment of Shakti, defeated Shiva's followers and declared that nobody was allowed to enter while his mother was bathing.

The sage of heavens, Narada along with the Saptarishis sensed the growing turmoil and went to appease the boy with no results. Angered, the king of Gods, Indra attacked the boy with his entire heavenly army but even they didn't stand a chance. By then, this issue had become a matter of pride for Parvati and Shiva. Angry Shiva severed the head of the child. Parvati seeing this became enraged. Seeing Parvati in anger Shiva promised that her son will be alive again. The devas searched for the head of dead person facing North, but they found only the head of a dead elephant. They brought the head of the elephant and Shiva fixed it on the child's body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha (Gana Isha : Lord of Ganas).

2007’s “Seed” is a retro-slasher from Uwe Boll, meant to lament a frustration over his cold reception into the horror world. More people seem to hate him than like him, it seems. There has only been a handful of films that Boll has directed that are in my wheelhouse as far as what I will watch. I actually liked more of those than I hated. I can’t speak for him based on all his material because a lot of the films he has made aren’t films I would watch regardless of the director or star.

As far as “Seed” is concerned, I found the film to be a dark, graphic, and blunt expressionist nightmare. The film stars Will Sanderson, Michael Paré, Ralf Möller, Jodelle Ferland, Thea Gill and Andrew Jackson. The story gives rise to a brutal, stoic killer that seems to kill for the shear pleasure of the torturous process of killing his victims. Not sure the motive, or reason for the obsession other than it appears to be his fetish, not the act of taking the life but the process by which the body finally breaks, along with the gruesome and macabre aftermath. All of which Uwe Boll forces the viewer to experience head on.

“Seed” is filmed in heavy atmospheric surrealism, blended with moments of splatter gore. Set in the 70’s, the backdrop is as macabre and depressing as the notion of witnessing the life leave someone you love. The killer, Seed, is a large, terrifying force of cruelty and death, shown completely and utterly without remorse or compassion. I am not even sure if he understands an actual difference between right and wrong. It wasn’t really established. Normally that would be an issue, however Boll frames the whole story as if we stepped into the middle of a horror unfolding. It forces you to either check out completely or set up and figure out the situation as you go. I actually enjoyed that because it made the viewing experience slightly uncomfortable.

The acting is pretty good in “Seed”. Most of the film is build on tense emotional interactions with limited dialog. The soundtrack and character conflicts tell most of the story. The dialog that does happen is based in the present with now “wordy” reflections or deep philosophical speeches to justify what we are seeing. The film really does feel classic in nature. The cinematography reminded me of “Hellraiser: Inferno”, with heavy noir elements. For me personally there is more that works here than goes wrong.

The special effects and soundtrack combine to give “Seed” that total horror feel. The slasher side of Boll’s vision is strong in the kill/death sequences. Most are practical effects that really push the comfortability level-moving into heavy splatter / gore territory. The downside is that, in a couple of the scenes, CGI spoils the overall effect of realism that is created by most of the other deaths. Uwe Boll has a habit of taking the effects one step to far into the tacky –where the CGI becomes too obvious to let the scene have a strong impact. Plus some of the sound effects, although very creepy and effect, seem like rip-offs of films that have come before “Seed”. But overall, “Seed” is an entertaining, brutal piece of slasher/ horror that most fans will enjoy-I did.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

A teaser trailer has been released for Ka Zarr Coleman produced horror, thriller “Gehenna”. The film is directed by Joe Dyer and begins with an intense scene with a a large man running through the dark woods while screaming for his life. He approaches a seemingly abandon old storage garage. Out of the middle of the fog and darkness an unseen killer ascends from beneath the dark woods. Within a minute he over powers the large man whose desperately trying to escape being pulled into the outer darkness.

Three short days later a group of hikers accidentally stumble upon several badly mangled, bloody body parts and quickly report it to the police. Over the next two weeks ten murders, and unexpected natural deaths are discovered, all killings appear to be committed with what is assumed to be a machete of some kind. Still nobody, including the police, has a clue how and why the killings are occurring, at first look they appear random until police investigators begin noticing a pattern within the bloody gruesome scenes proving otherwise.

Seasoned police detective Roger Cook (Protagonist) is a burnt-out, burly looking investigator. Looking to retire from the force in 10 days, he is drawn in to the case by the ritualistic and religious based homicides. When Detective Cook’s younger rebellious step sister, Angela is found missing and later turns up murdered, Detective Cook finds himself thrown into the deeper into the center of the investigation. His only clue is that they all seem to have some sort of ancient Hebrew religious meaning behind them.

Check out the trailer for horror anthology “Solitude”. The film is directed by Taylor Scott Olsen and Livingston Oden. “Solitude” takes place over a span of 75 years on a mysterious riverfront piece of land where an ancient evil dwells. The film is told in six segments, each one taking place in a different time period, and made to look like horror films of when they take place.

In 2014, James Erikson finds an old storage locker filled with journals and newspapers of his family's history. As he researches it, he finds out about the evil that his family has tried to contain for several generations.

Besides present day, the other segments in this film are as follows:1939 - Frank Erikson is a scientist doing research in North Dakota when a mysterious monster attacks his research team. This will be reminiscent of classic monster movies of the time period, such as "The Mummy" or "Frankenstein".

1961 - Frank Erikson returns to the Solitude River to try to destroy the monster once and for all. This segment is influenced by Alfred Hitchcock's films, as well as other B-movie's of the 50's and 60's.

1977 - The 1977 segment follows Donald Erikson, Frank's son who is a real estate broker and is planning on building river homes in Solitude, but does not realize what the land holds. It is in the style of supernatural horror films of the 70's, such as "The Omen" or "The Exorcist".

1986 - And here's the slasher! A group of college friends are planning on spending a weekend camping and partying near the Solitude River, not knowing of the evils that dwell there. This segment takes influence from classic 80's slashers such as the "Friday the 13th" or "Nightmare on Elm Street" series.

1999 - The last segment before present day is going to be found footage, similar to "The Blair Witch Project". It follows a group of film students who heard the rumors of the deaths near Solitude and are shooting a documentary about them.

Doug Ferguson’s remake of cult classic “Die Sister Die” is now available on DVD. The 2013 film stars Brinke Stevens, Jennii Caroline, and Jeff Hoover. An eerie secluded mansion, a tormented recluse, strange psychosexual perversions, a macabre family and a ghastly secret locked away in the attic combine to tell a thrilling tale of greed, deceit and murder! Starring legendary 80s Scream Queen Brinke Stevens (Slumber Party Massacre, Slave Girls From Infinity, Grandmother’s House) in a role… to die for.
In a modern take on the original 1972 psychodrama, Edward (Jeff Hoover) is tired of the allowance granted him by his older sister, Amanda (Brinke Stevens) and becomes impatient for her death, and his part of their father’s inheritance. Amanda has suffered from two heart attacks already, and Edward believes the third time will be a charm. So he hires an ex-con nurse, Esther (Jennii Caroline) to scare her to death. However, the plan goes awry as Esther becomes drawn into the family’s secret history.

XYZ Films has announced that it will handle U.S. distribution rights for UK horror anthology “Its Walls Were Blood”. The film will tell the story of a haunted house in a collection of short films. “Its Walls Were Blood” will tale the history of the home from the 19th century until present day. Filming will begin later this year.

The final Spanish trailer has been released for “Rec 4”, taking the contiguous terror to the sea. The franchise has been one of the strongest viral mutant offshoots of the zombie horror genre to come along. “Rec 4” is currently unleashing horror on TIFF and will land in Spanish theatres in October.

Angela Vidal the young television reporter who entered the building with the fireman, manages to make it out alive. But what the soldiers don’t know is that she carries the seed of the strange infection. “Rec 4” is directed by Jaume Balaguero and stars Manuela Velasco, María Alfonsa Rosso, Héctor Colomé, Mariano Venancio, Ismael Fritschi and Emilio Buale.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Joseph O’Brien’s “Devil’s Mile” is a blend of paranormal horror and contemporary crime-noir that takes a detour deep into Hell. The film stars David Hayter, Maria del Mar, Casey Hudecki, Amanda Joy Lim, Shara Kim, Samantha Wan and Frank Moore. “Devil’s Mile” takes its cue from Japanese entity thrillers, but twists it with some classic Lovecraftian styled terror to create a steady incline into a super-charged nightmare.

The story has three criminals and two kidnapped victims stuck on a stretch of road that makes “The Lost Highway” seem like Main street USA. The plot is pretty heady with tons of drama and psychological tension. Joseph O’Brien is masterful in pacing out the action with flashbacks, creepy atmospheric shadowing and shady back-stories that are revealed in pieces. The cast are committed to the characters and their ability to make you connect with the story is pretty stellar-at least once the sh*t hits the fan.

True in the beginning of watching “Devil’s Mile” I was sure I was gonna hate the film. The characters looked stereotypical with forced banter that comes off cliché. That all changes once they hit the Devil’s mile stretch of highway. The drama goes up and the talent really shines. The writing is smart, fastidious ebbs and flows of chilling Paranormality, deep human conflict, and intense action thrills. So yeah-by the time the characters hit that damned line in the road I was captivated.

The special effects are a concentrated and respectable blend of standard CGI paranormal visuals and practical effects. The fact that the story sets a tone similar to the awesome Japanese paranormal horror films makes this palatable. The scares are definite, undeniable moments that get you. The atmosphere is a creepy mix of giallo styled dark and light balance with soft glows of color leaking into the frames. The creature effects is impactful, with some truly disturbing aesthetics begging for your nightmares. Who cares about that girl in the well, this b*tch on the highway is the real horror.

“Devil’s Mile” is a definite must watch movie that shows just how perfect O’Brien’s choice to make this his directorial debut was, not only for him but all us horror fans. If it wasn't for the beginning feeling stereotypical, and slow, then this film would have been a masterpiece of modern horror. Still this is one d*mn good movie. The ending is expected but not in the way that you really expect to see. Can’t really detail anything because it would only spoil the experience.

Nursing student Asuka (Atsuko Maeda) has just moved into an apartment complex with her parents and younger brother. On the first night in her new room, she is awoken by a strange scratching sound coming from the apartment of her neighbor, a reclusive old man who has refused all attempts at communication. Concerned over his well being, Asuka enters his home only to find him dead from malnutrition.Worse, it looks as if he had been trying to claw his way into her room. Asuka learns that there have been a number of strange deaths in the complex over the years from Shinobu (Hiroki Narimiya), the handyman cleaning up the old man’s apartment. Even the girls at school whisper rumors of it being haunted.When the late night scratching returns, Asuka ventures back into her neighbor’s home and comes face to face with an apparition of the old man! Panicked by the discovery of her apartment emptied and her family gone, Asuka seeks help from Shinobu, who brings in a spiritualist to exorcise Asuka of the evil surrounding her. However, as she delves into the girl’s predicament, the spiritualist discovers that signs points not to the old man but to a small boy living in the complex with a past as tragic as the one Asuka herself lives in denial of.

Check out this behind-the-scene still from production of “Insidious 3” which hits theatres May 29th, 2015. The film stars Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Angus Sampson, and Whannell. “Insidious 3” is being helmed by franchise director Leigh Whennell, who brought the first two films to life.

A twisted new tale of terror begins for a teenage girl and her family, predating the haunting of the Lambert family in the earlier movies and revealing more mysteries of the otherworldly realm The Further.

“Dawn Of The Crescent Moon” is a paranormal thriller directed by Kirk Loudon. The film stars Barry Corbin, Brooke Coleman, Kurt Cole, Johnny Walter, Shiree Nelson, Lauren Leal, Edward Hong, Brandon Smith, Alan Pietruszewski and Kerry Beyer. The story revolves around a group of college students researching a the legend of Blood Lake. “Dawn Of The Crescent Moon” is what I would image the deacon at a church would check out and say “hey this is actually okay enough to show the kiddies in the daycare” or something close to that, anyway it is milder than the over-dramatized screaming teens squalling over their aborted fetuses.

The story is framed around what should be a pretty scary legend, filled with plenty of rich material. Why this film was watered down to a melodramatic farce I have no idea. I really wasn’t expecting much from the film, but I was expecting something. Basically the story arch feels contrived and staged in segments- a bit polished and cookie cutter. With all the yummy flavor of a rice cracker. The characters were written to the point of being grandiose. Some moments are just ridiculous.

The cast give decent performances, even though the dialog, backstories and set-up were a bit to epic for a story about college friends doing a simple project about a known legend for some mythology course. I have really only seen these kinds off narratives on daytime and primetime drama series. The cinematography and sets are pretty awesome and would have provided for some really nice chills. Again I just don’t know why they bothered to tell a “horror” story without the horror. It was just drama. I swear it is like some church came up and said “hey lets tell a spooky story to the kiddies”.

There is basically no real special effects to note. What does make its way on screen is basic cable drama effects with simple CGI. There were two moments I think that trickled some blood but nothing really “boo radley” worth mentioning. The sound effects and camera work are the only things that tease any sort of horror element to “Dawn Of The Crescent Moon”. I didn’t enjoy the film, I kind of felt let down. But again if you wanna suggest this to your church to show during the Halloween season then go for it.

Check out the trailer for upcoming horror film “The Pyramid”. The film hits theatres on December 5th, 2014 and is directed by Grégory Levasseur. It stars Ashley Hinshaw, James Buckley, Denis O’Hare, Christa-Marie Nicola, and Amir K. Finally someone is bringing the mummy back to the forefront of horror in truly terrifying fashion. Can’t wait to see this one.

The ancient wonders of the world have long cursed explorers who've dared to uncover their secrets. But a team of U.S. archaeologists gets more than they bargained for when they discover a lost pyramid unlike any other in the Egyptian desert. As they unlock the horrific secrets buried within, they realize they aren't just trapped; they are being hunted.

“Feed The Gods” gives us a creative and disturbing level of religiosity in pure creature-feature/horror fashion. The film is directed by Brandon Croft and all though it is described as a horror comedy the trailer shows the scenes to be a bit darker. “Feed The Gods” stars Shawn Roberts (Resident Evil: Afterlife, Diary of the Dead), Tyler Johnston (“The Killing,” “Supernatural”), Emily Tennant (Jennifer’s Body) and Aleks Paunovic (This Means War).

When slacker/aspiring filmmaker Will (Shawn Roberts, Resident Evil: Afterlife) finds the parents of his adopted brother Kris (Tyler Johnston, The Killing), he sees the opportunity to get some closure for his brother, as well as maybe capture a heartwarming reunion on camera.

With Kris’ fiancé Brit (Emily Tennant, Jennifer’s Body) in tow, the three of them head out to discover this long-lost family. What they are unprepared for though, is what exactly the cryptic small town has in store for them. Weird locals abound and rumors of a Bigfoot creature haunting the area at first seem silly… but things quickly escalate into a frantic, scary and action-packed nightmare with more than a few casualties along the way.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Horror anthology “Creeping Crawling” is a film that creates entomophobic inducing anxiety. The film is directed by Jon Russell Cring, and Tracy Nichole Cring. The stories are modern distortions of today’s struggle between the vapid and the devalued. The vapid being the burden and guilt put on women to live to a male standard, in return devaluing the mind, talent and whole worth of the female as a person of equal value. Okay so maybe this anthology doesn’t get that deep-but that was just the impression left on me by every one of these short films. “Creeping Crawling” stars Raine Brown, Kevin Craig West, Anna Shields, Marie Bianchi, Mikaela Holmes, Kai Issey, Yury Tsykun and Gary Flugge.

Told more like a trilogy of terror with stories that are framed by a very odd entomologist during a student interview for a paper or something. Anyway Each of the tales invoke a blind of unease, confusion and a serious case of the creeps. The characters deal with some really serious body image issues, like body dysmorphic disorder-fetish/ fantasy delusions-highly sexualized pressure to impress in the workplace-not to mention creepy, creepy, creepy insects, of course. “Creeping Crawling” takes a facetious attitude toward addressing contemporary issues about acceptable images in society with mature, fun, surrealism.

The acting is mediocre, with some characters feeling a bit too caricature. The over-the-top performances work during most of the anthology but there are times when it feels contrived. The cast give convincing performances for the most part and really bring these twisted tales to life. When the story gets creepy, the characters get bent much the same way. Actually the mental insanity put on the lead characters is rather convincing. I didn’t really get the jest of the point of the short films completely. I think I did but they really left me with a question mark about “was what I got out of the stories what the writers was going for”. I did however enjoy the dark humor, social commentary and just completely disturbing vibe “Creeping Crawling” gives off.

The special effects and soundtrack are above the grade for these low budget, indie films. I was impressed. The bug thing is a real skin crawler and this film gives it a good shot. The horror isn’t so much horror, in the sense that I never felt suspense or chills. The nightmare comes completely from the gross out, utter fear of insects that most of us have to some degree. “Creeping Crawling” is fresh, contemporary and very now. I am not completely sure that the continuity or framing is precise, but the blended genre that brings the surreal, b-movie critter-that kept us glued to late night thrillers-and the twisted storytelling that is reminiscent of “Tales From The Darkside” work in this anthology more than I expected. “Creeping Crawling” is worth checking out, the stories may not relate to everyone, but the bugs, and overall creep factor will entertain most.

Joaquin Montalvan’s horror “Legend Of The Hillbilly Butcher” comes out on DVD this September 23rd. The film stars Doreen Barnes, Allen East, S.E. Feinberg, Ron Jason, and Theresa Holly. Dread Central released an exclusive clip for the upcoming slasher/backwood horror. Check it out below.

Far away from the civilized world, in the deep isolation of the lonely backwoods, Carl Henry Jessup spends his days in twisted contemplation and hazy reverie of the good old days. His contempt for outsiders keeps him close to his hillbilly family home. Carrying on the family business, Carl keeps an eye out for Grade A meat. He can spot the tastiest trespassers from fifty yards away. Fat men and pretty gals are his preference, and he insists on a healthy serving of spicy blood gravy ladled over his dinner plate.Carl's mama and papa met with gruesome untimely deaths. His love and devotion for his mama and papa leaves him yearning for their return from the grave. In a pact with the demon Sam Bakoo, Carl offers his soul in exchange for the full-fledged reanimation of his parents' rotting corpses. The evil presence of Sam Bakoo drives Carl deeper into a whirlpool of torture, slaughter, vengeance, and delirium. His spirit guide, the angelic Lil' Jessie, warns him that his bloodline is cursed and that Sam Bakoo is not to be tangled with. But it's too late for the beleaguered hillbilly. His life turns sour, and he becomes a tired and vicious shell of a man.The only remaining faithful and loving presence in his pitiful existence is Rae Lynn, who sees something good in her half-brother. While Carl's out doing his dirty deeds, Rae Lynn comes to his house looking for him. When she enters an unfamiliar back room, she discovers Carl's secret house of horrors. He returns home to find Rae Lynn in his private domain. The depravity she witnesses makes her just another liability. Rae Lynn must escape and fight for her life. Carl is faced with his comeuppance as Sam Bakoo comes to collect his debt. This trippy horror film combines the quiet, forbidding atmosphere that could have been conjured up by a hillbilly David Lynch with an eerie Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe.

Desperate for a break from big city life, Emma heads to her family’s cabin deep in the Arkansas hills. As she settles in for some much-needed R&R, she learns that something unspeakable lurks in the surrounding darkness. As the full moon rises, a bloodthirsty werewolf emerges from the shadows, slaughtering everyone in its path and revealing a sinister underworld Emma never knew existed. Thrown into a fight for her life, and her very soul, Emma will need to escape these big bad woods before it’s too late.

Volturnalia was the Roman festival on August 27 dedicated to Volturnus, 'god of the waters,' god of fountains. The name probably derived from a local Samnite cult. Volturnus was the father of the goddess Juturna, who was first identified with a spring in Latium near the Numicus River and later with a pool near the Temple of Vesta in the Forum of Rome. They were both honored on this day with feasting, wine-drinking, and games.

No myths concerning Volturnus have survived. A minority view among scholars is that Volturnus was a generic God of rivers, and gave his name both to the Tiber and the Volturno. Also it has been theorized that the Romans might have equated Volturnus with Vulturnus, as evidenced by this passage from Lucretious:

“And other Winds do follow: the high roar Of great Volturnus, and the South wind strong With thunder-bolts.”
Those who equate Volturnus with Vulturnus believe that the Volturnalia was a festival to avert the drought caused by these drying winds.

“Sanctuary, Quite A Conundrum” is Thomas L. Phillips is the vows written for the unlikely marriage between trash cinema and horror. The film stars Sasha Ramos, Erin Cline, Emily Rogers, Anthony Rutowicz, Joe Coffey, Chris Greene, Catherine Trail and Julianna Pitt. “Sanctuary, Quite A Conundrum” follows a night of partying and sexing that turns into a cluster-f*ck of brutality and survival, when a disturbing event brings the party crashing down.

This story is nothing short of amazing, and brilliant. At first “Sactuary, Quite A Conundrum” kicks off with cliché overhypes that I was sure were going to annoy me. However ten minutes into the witty banter between the two lead female characters I was hooked. The face-paced dialog, timing and delivery of the actresses is spot on. The characters are an updated Valley Girl persona that feels relevant to a contemporary setting. Plus them b*tches was funny as hell! “Quite A Conundrum” starts off as a light, campy satire that, when the scene turns sour, gets dark real fast.

Phillips is as a modern day John Hughes. I felt the sudden sickening feeling hit as the story goes from one of light to total horror. His ability to both blend a satirical comedic air with an equal air of terror, without dragging the story down, is amazing. I felt conflicted the whole time. There is some completely nightmarish horror that takes place in the film, but there is some humor that cannot be denied. The story gets tense, then light-ish, before getting even more tense. “Quite A Conundrum” just offers a superb story from start to finish.

The special effects are the standard for a film driven more by high drama and basic action sequences. The kill scenes stay pretty equal to micro-budget level but come off, through great direction and cinematography, as high production value scenes. The blood and deaths are sudden, blunt force moments that catch you in the headlights of a horrific moment taking place before your eyes. Even then the ability of the cast to effortlessly sway between such dark material and the lighter humorous stuff is a show to the casts’ talent.

The soundtrack is pretty stellar. A mix of thriller sound effects and contemporary tunes offer a mix of suspenseful tension and terror, balanced by almost MTV video quality atmospheric slow mo situations. There are small moments that seem a bit contrived but none that altar the entertainment value or overall energy of the film. But really there has to be, honestly the fact that based on Thomas L. Phillips writing style, it is nothing short of amazing that a lot of this film doesn’t fail. “Sactuary, Quite A Conundrum” is a masterpiece and instant cult classic that everyone should see-not just horror and camp cinema fans!

The first teaser trailer has been released for Sergio Candido’s “Visions Evilutions”. The film is an action/horror set to be released in 2015. “Visions Evilution” stars Rudy Youngblood, Rob Van Dam, Tiffany Ellen Solano, Sergio Candido.

A group of long time friends and family take a break from everyday life and journey to a wooded getaway after one of them has an eye injury. They soon encounter a fierce gang who makes their short stay one they will never forget. Not only do they have to deal with the gang, but with demonic entities that are released after being dormant in the woods for hundreds of years as well.

Check out the first official trailer for Eduardo Sánchez’s Bigfoot horror “Exists”. The film stars Dora Madison Burge, Brian Steele, Samuel Davis and Denise Williamson. “Exists” is set to release on October 24th, 2014 on VOD.

For five friends, it was a chance for a summer getaway- a weekend of camping in the Texas Big Thicket. But visions of a carefree vacation are shattered with an accident on a dark and desolate country road. In the wake of the accident, a bloodcurdling force of nature is unleashed-something not exactly human, but not completely animal- an urban legend come to terrifying life...and seeking murderous revenge.

Earlier this month a trailer was released for indie paranormal thriller “Encounter”. The artwork for the film isn’t all that impressive but after watching the trailer I am very interested in the film. There seems to be some dark satire- hidden in some truly dark, chilling writing. “Encounter” is directed by James Bowling, Susannah O'Brien and Justin Arnold, Jonathan Brooks, Don Scribner, Andrea Nelson and Jack Hunter.

A pair of newlyweds set up cameras in and around an old farm house for husband Ted's grad school film thesis on orbs. It's not long before they discover a dark and terrible secret that threatens their sanity and their lives.

McBride (Justin Arnold) and his new wife Lauren (Andrea Nelson) move to the country to film his thesis project, a study to investigate atmospheric phenomena commonly known as “orbs.” They rent a room in a farmhouse from an unsettling man named Jim (Don Scribner) and set up Ted’s motion activated video cameras around the house and surrounding property. As the days and nights pass, Jim becomes increasingly on edge and it all comes to a head when Ted angrily confronts Jim in the middle of the night, frustrated with the unhinged old man.

Ted soon realizes that he and Lauren are being stalked and affected in strange and frightening ways by the same force that drove Jim out of his mind. In the exciting conclusion of the film, Ted and Lauren fight to save each other and escape the evil that they have discovered that now stalks them.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Talent Management, Production, Distribution and Marketing Company Traverse Media, announced today the North American release date for Blanc/Biehn Production’s latest Movie TREACHERY on Video on Demand (VOD).

Bringing to life real family drama, TREACHERY dives into the deep roots that bind a family and the darker secrets that family can create. Travis Romero (TV’s “White Collar”, THE VICTIM) wrote and directed TREACHERY, which centers on a man (Biehn) who is reunited with his estranged son at a remote wedding party. When a storm strands the party, ugly truths are revealed.

Biehn is best known for his work in The Terminator and Aliens movies but has developed a niche for himself producing low-budget grindhouse-style productions. He is producing Treachery via his BlancBiehn Productions, which he runs with his wife and partner Jennifer Blanc Biehn.

“I always love playing humanitarian type characters and characters that are the real good guys,” says Michael Biehn, with a wink and a nod.

“With an incredible cast, Michael and I were excited to take this story and make it come to life,” Jennifer Blanc-Biehn .

TREACHERY will be available from September 1st on: iTunes, Amazon Prime, Amazon Instant Play, Google Play, VUDU, Vimeo on Demand and across Cable VOD.

MPI/Dark Sky Films announced the end of principal photography on FROM THE DARK, the latest film from Conor McMahon, director of the successful STITCHES. Produced by MPI Pictures Dublin in partnership with Workshed films, FROM THE DARK was shot on location in Laois, Ireland. The film stars Niamh Algar, Stephen Cromwell and Gerry O’Brien (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest).

A tense and frightening film, FROM THE DARK tells the story a young couple embark on a road trip through the Irish countryside, car trouble lands them in an place that few people would choose to visit. When something sinister is awakened from a thousand year slumber, deep within the dark bog, the couple is faced with an unimaginable evil. They soon realize that light is their only protector, but as the sun sets and light sources dwindle, the creature becomes more powerful, and they are in a fight for their lives.

Greg Newman, Executive Vice President of MPI Media Group, said: "McMahon has always had a unique cinematic vision and we’re thrilled to bring his fresh and twisted take to the genre in yet another one of his films."

The movie is the latest original production coming from MPI Media Group’s genre arm, Dark Sky Films, whose recent productions include The Innkeepers, Stake Land, Late Phases, Frankenstein’s Army, Here Comes The Devil and others.

Check out the teaser trailer for “The Woman In Black: Angel Of Death”. The film hits theatres February 13th, 2015 and stars Helen McCrory, Jeremy Irvine, Adrian Rawlins, Oaklee Pendergast. “The Woman In Black: Angel Of Death” is directed by Tom Harper.

The Woman in Black: Angel of Death takes place as bombs rain down on London during the Blitz of World War II as a group of school children are evacuated with Eve, their young and beautiful schoolteacher, to the safety of the English countryside. Taken to an old and empty estate, cut-off by a causeway from the mainland, they are left at Eel Marsh House.

Check out the first trailer for franchise reboot (kind of) “Amityville: The Awakening”. The film is directed by Franck Khalfoun and stars Bella Thorne, Cameron Monaghan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Taylor Spreitler. “The Awakening” is set to release on January 5th, 2015 thanks to Dimensions Films.

Belle, her little sister, and her comatose twin brother move into a new house with their single mother Joan in order to save money to help pay for her brother's expensive healthcare. But when strange phenomena begin to occur in the house including the miraculous recovery of her brother, Belle begins to suspect her Mother isn't telling her everything and soon realizes they just moved into the infamous Amityville house.

Today is the Opiconsivia, the pagan festival of Ops-goddess of abundance. Her festival, Opiconsivia on 25 August, is close to the Consus festivals, the god of grain. Ops has an earlier festival on August 19th called the Opalia. Because her December festival was also close to the Saturnalia she was usually associated with Saturn, and since he was identified with the Greek Cronus she was identified with Rhea, the consort of Cronus. Her oldest place of worship was a small shrine in the Regia or ancient royal palace, where her harvest ceremony was performed, attended only by the pontifex maximus and the Vestals, symbolizing the storage of the state crops by the king and his daughters.

The Opiconsivia festival was superintended by the Vestals and the Flamines of Quirinus, an early Sabine god said to be the deified Romulus. Quirinus was absorbed by, and included in, the first and earliest Capitoline Triad, along with Mars—then an agriculture god—and Jupiter. The main priestess at the regia wore a white veil, characteristic of the vestal virgins. A chariot race was performed in the Circus Maximus. Horses and mules, their heads crowned with chaplets made of flowers, also took part in the celebration.

Ops themes are opportunity, wealth, fertility and growth. Her symbols are bread, seeds and soil. Ops motivates fruit bearing, not just in plants but also in our spirits. She also controls the wealth of the gods, making her a Goddess of opulence. Invoke Ops by getting as close to the earth as you can, eat earthy foods like potatoes, root crops, summer squashes, etc. Many pagans choose to hold outdoor feasts in picnic fashion, close to the earth to be as close to Ops as possible. For an alter observance, place grains, seeds, and bread along with a symbol representing Ops. Light white or yellow candles and give a prayer of thanks to the bounty that Ops has provided. I also add wine or alcohol offers for the goddess to enjoy.

“3: 00 AM” is directed by Lee Matthews and stars Charlotte Armstrong as a woman harassed by late night calls. It is a creepy, paranormal nightmare that plays in an even-paced, scary story situation. The short film opens up “The Horror Network Vol. 1” and moves us right into the feel of what reelEpic envisions for the anthology. “3:00 AM” is also the tamest of the short films within this anthology. It almost gives a false sense of light-tempered horror, which is perfect considered the dark, evil that comes after this one.

“Edward” is a surreal, classic styled horror short that feels like an episode of “Tales From The Darkside”. The short film is directed by Joseph Graham and stars Nick Frangione, Artem Mishin, Premstar Santana. The story involves a young man in therapy. Dealing with a sleep walking issue and the recent death of one of his peers. “Edward” takes the twisted, psychosomatic battle of one’s inner struggle with good and evil into an area that screams of Hell.

“The Quiet” is a little bit darker still, with the focus on a deaf teen in the midst of a terrifying ordeal. There is a bit of black humor to this short film that takes on a “Twilight Zone” but amplified tone. Directed by Lee Matthews , “The Quiet” brings to live the fear that pretty much all young girls shiver over, if they don’t then there is something wrong with them. The world, dominated by men, must seem terrifying at times to women, I imagine. Add to that the fact that the young girl in the film is deaf in one ear and uses a hearing device to hear in the other, this situation is a true life nightmare.

“Merry Little Christmas” is something straight from the bowels of Hell’s hell. It is dark, disturbing, brutal and brilliant. Directed by Manuel Marin, this horror short takes man’s cruelty and the aftermath into levels of darkness only survivors of cruelty could ever really understand. “Merry Little Christmas” is far from a holiday horror and yet the fact that it happens on the holiday somehow disembowels the joyful occasion. It offers a bit of depravity in putting the horror bluntly in your face, I could not turn away and yet I felt as if I was about to crash into a wall with razors ready for my flesh.

Brian Dorton’s disturbing serial killer short film, “The Deviant One” ends the anthology with a bit of calming horror – calming in the sense that it brings you back from the very bloody, ashy floor of hell, up to more palpable levels of depravity. The short is still disturbing, told in an arthouse/surreal style with no dialog, “The Deviant Ones” highlights the nightmare of not knowing really who your neighbors are, or the horrors that they are capable of.

Overall “The Horror Network Vol.1” drags you down into the dark, scary places you never really want to go, but often find yourself peeking into through pinched lips and slits in you hand-covered eyes. The anthology is creepy, intense, horrifying and brilliant. This is truly a collection of nightmares that scream for all horror fans to see. “The Horror Network Vol. 1” brings a level discomfort that is addictive as it is entertaining. This series challenges you at times, often daring you to look deeper as the brutality slaps you in the face. I loved every minute of this anthology. A very mature, and chilling film that is sure to be an instant cult classic.

In June of 1994, one of the most brutal mass slaughters in history occurred in the woods of northern New England. Four months later, history is about to repeat itself. What begins as a humorous comedy of errors quickly becomes a Darwinian gore fest, and what unfolds is a cerebral yet repulsive journey through the history and nature of humanity and ‘civilization.’ With four distinct clans vying for supremacy and survival in the woods of New Hampshire, less than 24 hours will pass before a slew of lives have been claimed and the last of the living remains.

In the small town of Peckham, California, many men die for excessive effort during sexual intercourse. When a scientist from the Brandt research laboratory is found dead in a motel, the government sends Agent Neil Agar (William Smith) to investigate the mysterious deaths. He suspects that the deaths may be related to some experiments of Dr. Susan Harris (Anitra Ford), who is researching bees in the Brandt facility.

Directed by Denis Sanders and starring William Smith, Anitra Ford, Victoria Vetri, Cliff Osmond, Wright King, Anna Aries, Katie Saylor and Beverly Powers. “Invasion Of The Bee Girls” writer Nicholas Meyer went on to write several of the “Star Trek” movies as well as the recent ‘Houdini’ mini series set to premiere on H2.